The Lion Mistress: Book 1

Lion Mistress #1

by R.A. Steffan

The gods promised her a savior.
The gods are a bunch of lying bastards.

Instead of delivering her from a life of slavery, they ripped away everything she ever cared about.

Now, Kathrael must choose. Lie down and accept her fate, or risk her life and try to change the future.

Destiny is calling, but she won’t face it alone. She has a gentle Seer, a crazy lion-shifter, and the ghost of her dead best friend on her side. Of course, none of them have the faintest clue what they’re getting themselves into. But that’s all right. Because Kathrael of Rhyth has chosen to fight for freedom.

And as far as she’s concerned, the gods can either step in line, or get the hell out of the way.

* * *

The Lion Mistress begins a new chapter in the 2016 Rainbow Award winning Horse Mistress series by USA Today bestselling author R. A. Steffan. (It is not necessary to read the Horse Mistress books first.) Perfect for open-minded fans of paranormal ménage and fantasy reverse harem romance, the story explores the strength of the human spirit, and the ways in which love can overcome the scars of the past.

Author’s note: Unlike the majority of the fantasy genre, this series contains explicit sex. The sex is not particularly vanilla, and some of it is between two men who love each other. If any of these three facts made you go, “Eww,” then you probably wouldn't enjoy this book.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Menage, Shapeshifters, Audiobook, Paranormal, LGBT

389 pages, ebook

First published November 29, 2015

About the author

USA Today bestselling author R. A. Steffan lives in New Mexico, where the sunsets paint the mountains purple, and roadrunners roam the desert endlessly in search of their coyote victims. When she’s not busy writing stories about people loving each other in all sorts of different and interesting ways, she can be found taking care of her small menagerie of critters.

A rebel to the core, she is currently sticking it to the man by illegally harvesting graywater from the kitchen and bathroom sinks to water trees outside. This fearless disregard for societal norms extends to her writing, as well. There, you will find polyamory along with straight, gay, bisexual, and non-gender conforming love of all flavors. You will also find families of choice, profound friendships, adventure, danger, and good triumphing over evil.

That, and sex. Lots of sex. Most of which is not the vanilla variety.

If any of that appeals, sign up at http://www.rasteffan.com/ to get a free starter library featuring the first books in several of her series. You can also follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RASteffanAut..., or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RA_Steffan.

Reviews

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I finished the Horse Mistress books I couldn't wait to continue this series with the Lion Mistress books. And I loved being able to return to this world again. My expectations were quite high and sadly this book ended up being a bit mixed for me. There were parts I really enjoyed and parts I struggled with a bit. It's more of a 3.5 star rating, but didn't quite feel like a 4 star

While the Lion Mistress follows a different set of main characters than the ones in the first four I still think it would work best to start there, but for those who prefer to start here that definitely works too, you just miss a bit of backstory of the side characters. And for me seeing the characters I had grown to know from the first four books again in this book was so fun.

The Lion Mistress Book 1 follows the story of Kathrael. She was a slave and then a prostitute. Then she got burned and now she has no way to make a living. She has lost everyone close and dear to her and the only drive left is to get to the north and kill the wolf patron who ruined her life. It's told mostly from her point of view, but there are also some chapters from Favian and Ithric's point of views too.

I admit that I found Kathrael hard to like at first. Her only drive seems to be revenge and she is quite hardened because of the life she had. I felt sorry for her with how she had lived, lost and also how she thought of sex. I found it hard to really care for her, but I did like seeing how character development over the course of the book. It really feel like the first step to a better life for her. And by the end I did find myself warming up to her slowly.

I did like Favian right away. We already have seen a lot of Favian in the horse mistress books and he was one of my favorite side characters there. I also liked seeing how he grew closer to Kathrael and cared for her and helped her recover. I had more trouble with his relationship with Ithric as he seemed almost hostile when he talked about him, but his actions spoke of a deep bond. A bond that was formed before this book. Which is when I regret not starting with the prequel as I think that would've given me a better insight in their relationship.

Favian and Ithric's romance is almost combustible. They love each other, but also seem quite argumentative with each other. Eventually they get to the heart of the matter and I found I understood both of their points. I just didn't care for the way they acted at first and was happier when they made up, which isn't till the end of the book tough. Ithric and Kathrael have a bit of a bond too, but not as deep yet, but I think that will develop in the next book. I am curious to see their relationship progress as toward the end it's still very much in the beginning stages.

I am not quite sure what it is, but something about this book failed to fully pull me in. I loved being back in this world and there is some great character focus and interactions. The story felt like it moved a bit slowly at times and lacked direction, but I still enjoyed myself while reading. It just lacked that feel that I wanted to keep reading and was immersed in the story that the horse mistress books had.

I was happy to return to this world and see glimpses of how the character we followed in the horse mistress book were doing now. It's also great to see how the world has changed in the meantime. How some parts are more stable and more unrest in other parts. I am quite curious to see how this will develop in future books. This book also expands on the world building with Kathrael's spirit gift and some twins she meet who have an unusual gift too.

To summarize: I was happy to return to the world of Eburos and this time follow a new set of characters. Kathrael is the main character of this one, with some chapters from Favian and Ithric's point of view. I had a bit of a hard time warming up to Kathrael, she has had a hard life and is a bit better and revengeful when the book starts. I felt sorry for her, but didn't quite like her at first. I like seeing her character development over the course of the series and I began to like parts of her characters. I was happy to see Favian again, although I felt like I missed part of his background with Ithric as I didn't start with the prequel first. I also didn't care for their attitude at first were he acted like Ithric didn't matter to him and I was happy once they talked things through and resolved it. The romance between Favian and Thric is already more established and in this book Kathrael joins their relationship in a way as well, but it's still very much in the beginning stages. All in all it was a good start of the series and while it didn't pull me in as much as the Horse mistress books, it has a lot of potential and I am excited to see where the story goes next.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

#12 on Read All the Books on Audible Escape Before It Poofs

I enjoyed the story but it was too much like the Horse Mistress. There's definitely a formula for the stories that the author is writing and I wish it's so apparent.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great fantasy book that is actually the first from this author for me. Loved reading this story. Met Kathreal and Favian and enjoyed the characters immensely. Ready for more.

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lion Mistress begins a few years after the Horse Mistress series ends.
One of the main characters is Favian whom we met through all the books of the Horse Mistress and Ithric who had a quick passing in the last book. The girl in the story is Kathrael with a mission of revenge. All three are intertwined through a series of events that slowly brings them together.
Favian was already my favorite and it was nice to see a side of him that I haven't seen before, his was smart, funny and witty. Also is very interesting to see the influence he had from his adopted parents. Ithric is also a very interesting character and I really liked him and the big heart he is hiding behind his tough persona. Most of the book was revolved around Kathrael's story which was understandable since she is introduced as the new character to the story. It took me some time to like her character but that slowly changed by the time they all got together.
Once again R.A. Steffan's writing was incredible and she transported me in her world. This time the story is told through the point of view of all the main characters. The pace was a bit slow but that was understandable since it took time to get to build the characters and prepare us for what is to came in the next books.
In the end of the book there is a link for the prequel of these series, Favian's and Ithric's story.
The book was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just keeps getting better. I did not realize that Kathrael was the little girl that we saw in a previous book. This book has a lot of traveling involved & where we get to see more of this world & the people that live there. I really enjoyed watching these three fall in love, even though we don't see them all together until way further in the book. We also get to see the characters from the prior books which I loved. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Audio received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Tünde Kasza tóth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one so much more than any of the horse mistress books. There was action, things were happening, the sex scene wasn't there just for it's own sake, we saw different points of views that actually felt like they were from different people...

Okay, so let's see in order. The action: In The Horse Mistress series the most eventful book was the one where they went to a meeting, came back and then burned the mountain down. Yepp, I can write the whole book down in one sentence. In this one there were a lot of things happening at the same time (the multiple point of view helped this along really well, but more about that later). There was the ex-slave, whore Kathrael who started out on revenge and her failure get her a family. There was Favian whose self denial and self actualization in the end created a whole person. There was Ithric, also with a failed, though much more noble, quest, who in the end got everything he ever dreamed about. With a little bit of change this book could even be a full stand-alone with three people's lives coming together as we follow them through the most defining moments of their existences. So yeah, there are a lot of things happening in this one, and it's still a full whole story.

The characters: Again I would like to compare it to the prequel series. In that one my main problem was that even though we saw Andoc's point of view in the prequel and Senovo's in the epilogue, none of them was distinguishable. Andoc had a little more life/fire/personality but otherwise any of them could have had the same thoughts. In contrast in The Lion Mistress we get different points of views, with very distinct characters, and while Kathrael can be shy and self-conscious as well as Favian, there was never a point where I wasn't sure whose eyes I was seeing through.

The sex: I don't mind the sex scenes as long as they have a point from character development or plot development standpoint. What I don't like is when there is a porn book and we call it fantasy/romance whatever because in between the sex scenes there is something vaguely plot like. Let's call these sophisticated porn. You read these when you don't want to admit to reading porn. Unfortunately there are a LOT of these books these days. Again I have to compare this to The Horse Mistress where there were at least one sex scene that didn't add anything nor to the plot neither to the characters and it went on for chapters. In this book this is also much better. All of these parts actually add to either our understanding of a charater or to the caracter's development itself. And I can wholeheartedly agree with that.

So all in all, it is a great book. I didn't want to start this series after the previous one in the same world but I'm glad I did anyway. Hopefully the other books will follow in this one's footsteps.

[N Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome back to Eburos, a bountiful island, rich in flora, fauna, and minerals. Most of the island is populated by many different Bronze Age tribes, living mostly peacefully together. But to the south, in the lands of the Rytheeri tribe, the foothold the Iron Age Alyrion Empire had gained is troubled. But north of the mountains that bisects the island (like Hadrian’s Wall cuts across England) most tribes still live simply.
It has been six years since the then newly elected Chief of Draebard; Andoc with his bondmates, united the Northern tribes and repelled the Alyoin invasion of the port town of Llanmeer. Life in the north has returned to mostly normal pursuits: the warriors train daily, while the eunuch priest under High Priest Senovo deal with the spiritual matters, and a small team of men and boys care for the precious herds of horses under Horse Mistress Carivel.
Favian is nineteen and has passed into novice priesthood, finally! His only thought was to serve the gods under his beloved guardian and mentor Senovo, until he had an old dream come true, again! Now his life has been turned upside down when he meets Kathrael in the flesh. Consequence or fate only the gods know when Kathrael brings knowledge of what has become of Ithric, who was spying in the south but now is in trouble as Favian has foreseen.
What can a novice seer and a scared ex-slave do to keep a vision from happening? Favian has no idea but he is the only one able to find Ithric and Kathrael won’t let him go alone. With his Guardians blessing they set out to rescue Ithric and once and for all settle their problems. But can they hold up to pressure that is building that might burn their island home bare?
This is a continuation of R. A. Steffan’s wonderful stories of Eburos Island. While you can read this and follow the story it is MUCH deeper if you have read the previous series The Horse Mistress. Now this series is even more personal and hard-hitting from the beginning. New characters are introduced in living color. You are pulled into this epic continuation of a bold an insightful tale. This book is much darker then the last series which truly follows with a county that is starting to tear apart with rioting and gangs. The depth of Ms. Steffan’s character creation is astonishing. She has taken supporting cast from the last books, aged them realistically, and now they step forward to continue the saga, in new and amazing ways. This isn’t just a repeat of the last series with new title characters, the plot and trials are new, and the focus on personal growth pulls you right in. There are male on male and Ménage a trois elements.

[Carbunkle Flux · Rating 3 out of 5]

R.A. Steffan's The Lion Mistress is the story of prostitute Kathrael and her struggles. Half her face is burned, effectively preventing her from doing her job, and her only friend in the world was just murdered.

So. Angry, grieving and without options, she dreams of leading a slave rebellion to kill those who oppressed her. But before that, she must take revenge against Shapeshifter Senovo, who damned her to this. Armed with only a knife and a knapsack, she journeys north to kill him and bring herself peace.

I wasn't that invested in Kathrael's mad delusion of leading a slave rebellion and neither is the book, for the most part. Instead, it focuses on her trials and the people she helps along the way. This is fine by me, because I think R.A. Steffan did a fantastic job of characterizing and developing this cast.

Kathrael is angry and abrasive at first, but she has the mettle to back it up. Her early trials gave me a respect for what she was willing to put herself through to accomplish her goals. Once her softer side is revealed, it feels like a reward--like we're getting a glimpse at who she really is beneath the bared teeth. By the end I was rooting for her.

Favian is her foil. He's a gentle man who fears being outed as gay, but wants to join the priesthood. I didn't like him quite as much as Kathrael, but it's hard to imagine them apart once they're together. Them discussing their dissenting philosophies is enough to keep me engaged, and are among the best scenes in the book.

The main reason I gave the book only 3 stars despite an enjoyable pair of main characters are twofold:

The sex scenes. While the first does a perfect job of communicating Kathrael's disgust with her profession, the other two feel more gratuitous than anything else. I dare say they're out of place, because the tone and the voice doesn't match the rest of the story. And the last ends one of Kathrael's primary character arcs way too easily for my taste.

The plot. In the second half of the story, it goes off the rails and becomes about Favian and his love/drama/rescue mission for lion boy Ithric. While Favian is necessary for Kathrael's development, she feels more like she's tagging along. Towards the end they try to get her more emotionally invested in Ithric (in the denouement, no less), but I just don't feel like it works.

Despite this, I did enjoy reading The Lion Mistress. It's still in the air if I'd go for a second round (as I said, not terribly invested in Kathrael's slave rebellion dream), but as a simple character study of Kathrael and her journey to find some kind of happiness?

On that level, it's quite good.

[FoxClouds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this ebook in exchange of a free and honest review.

Personal rating: 4 stars

Warning: the book is intended for mature audiences.

I read the first book by R.A. Steffan a year ago and ever since I was, to put it simply, obsessed with her writing and the world that she created. She writes believable and diverse menage a trois relationships within a fantasy world, which is a rather unique combination, as books tend to either be too romance heavy and lacking action, or too action packed with the juicy bits left behind the scenes.

Needless to say, that ever since that first book, I immediately jumped onto any opportunity to read and review books in the series.

“The Lion Mistress” is a three book cycle, a sequel and spin-off of the main series “The Horse Mistress”. The main protagonists, Favian, Ithric and Kathrael, appear in various stages of briefness in the first four books. I have read enough of sequels and spinoffs to know that sometimes the re-introduction of secondary characters as main characters in new books can be rather awkward, it is not the case for this book. The events in “The Lion Mistress” Book 1 take place six years since “The Horse Mistress” Book 1. Favian is a more fleshed out and mature character, which delighted me, as I was not that fond of Favian in first series.

Ithric was mostly a distant memory for me then, so seeing him again, more developed and with a solid backstory, was great. We also see Carivel, Senovo and Andoc in this book, but they take secondary roles. (Yes, I am still obsessed with Senovo, and I love how Favian is taking after him in some ways.)

But it is Kathrael who steals the show in book one. She is beaten, bruised, scarred, physically and mentally, but she is so stubborn and determined to achieve her goal that she inspires instant respect. I liked that the author, once again, doesn’t shy away from depicting abuse and violence. There is potential for some epic adventures down the road for the characters too, which made me excited. I do, however, believe that the author’s strength lies in developing and portraying interpersonal relationships. All of her characters go through changes and development, personally and interpersonally, and I love it. Her writing style has also developed and improved since the beginning of the series.

I love the fact that this book feels as a very organic continuation of “The Horse Mistress” series. You can trace back all characters’ storylines and see the roots of the current story embedded into the plot way back into the series. I am delighted at how well that was executed.

I gave this book only 4 stars, because I felt like the story of Favian, Ithric and Kathrael is yet at the very beginning plot-wise and even though the characters seem more developed and I do appreciate a slower buildup of tension and relationship between characters, I still felt that the story was not a five-star read. At least, not yet. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of a big adventure is in store for the characters. (Aka “I am a sucker for angst and I need more of it, please.”)

I highly recommend you start reading with “The Horse Mistress” series though as this book is closely tied to it.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Creative and interesting story. This is the first book in the series I have listened to so it took me a bit to catch up and keep all the characters straight. While it is it's own story, I am not familiar with the backstory of the characters this is where some of my confusion came in. Even with that I was pulled into the story from the beginning and it kept my attention from the start. Very entertaining, interesting and enjoyable story. I enjoyed the story enough that I am looking forward to the next installment, before that though at some point I would like to listen to the series from the beginning.

The book gives a disclaimer warning even before you start listening so anyone listening should not be offended by anything that goes on inside the story. That was your opportunity to turn it off.

The synopsis tells you everything you need to know except that it's a really good story and worth the listen. I would start at the beginning of the series though.

A world where certain individuals have gifts or are shifters. What an interesting and unusual cast of characters. Shifters, eunuch's, priest's, prostitutes and more. Really enjoyed the world the author has created.

Gwendolyn Druyor did a great job with the narration. Pleasant voice. Easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Really good character voices. She was able to make the characters and the story come to life through her narration. She is the perfect narrator for this book/series. Very enjoyable.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duplicate of Amazon review:

I enjoyed The Lion Mistress. I had seen the first chapter earlier, as a subscriber to R.A.'s websites. I was dubious about rooting for someone who wanted to kill Senovo, who I'd gotten to like a lot in the Horse Mistress books. Kath turned out to be a more sympathetic character than I'd expected, though. I knew Favian from the earlier set of books. I thought some of his reasons for getting castrated were ones he might think differently about later, but he was pleased with the idea of being an eunuch. I liked Ithric. Kath was pretty perceptive about Favian and Ithric's relationship. Favian was insightful about emotional relationships that he wasn't involved in.

The book had a lot of traveling. It was very vivid about the characters being footsore and saddlesore. It set up events that could happen in future books, and got the players together. There were major characters with supernatural gifts who weren't priests, which was different from the Horse Mistress books. It was established in earlier books that the southern part of the island had slaves. Senovo had been a slave, for instance. Kath's grand plan was to free the slaves. I'm looking forward to these characters' continuing adventures.

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not proud to say that at first, I think of this read as an acquired taste. I adore Kathrael and I'm kind of bummed out that she's not exactly the center of this menage. But I find myself getting emotionally attached (says the detached, cold-hearted aquarius bitch) to this read, and all the main and supporting characters. Kathrael is one of the most unconventional heroines I've ever read. I don't relate to her at all but I definitely, freaking, appreciate knowing her. Humbling. This physically and psychologically challenged heroine knocks me off my feet. She's got the wit and tact of a street-smart woman but also the depraved soul and yearning heart of a little girl. Ithric and Favian are both so great with her. Thus, my regret for ever thinking this one's merely an acquired taste. I think I have a slow-burning love for this one rather. Those three complete one another in the most fulfilling, most beautiful way.

[Tully Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I loved the Horse Mistress series, and while this one is in the same world and equally well-written, I didn't quite feel the same strong connection betwen the characters as I did in the first book. But their relationship is only just beginning at the end, so that may well change in the next book.

It bothered me that for so long Kathrael wanted to kill Senovo for something he didn't even know he was supposed to have done but was just a prophecy she had heard. He's still my fav character of the series. I really liked Favian, I didn't have a very good feel for Ithric's character which kept the relationship from connecting for me.

I loved revisiting with Senovo, Andoc, and Carivel! And I will read on in the series in the hope of more of that trio as well as in getting to know Ithric better.

[Simcyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I don't usually like MM romance but this one actually got my warm fuzzies going. Yes, this is actually a MMF, but like the first books in the Eburosi series, the female sort of comes along as more an adjunct to the relationship.

My only negative in this review is that these Lion Mistress books are so alike the Horse Mistress relationship where the boys meet and are dealing with their sort of forbidden attraction before meeting the girl. I am not a lover of what I call cookie cutter series where the author uses the same format for the different books in the series.

I would recommend the book....Steffan is excellent at developing her characters and she has plenty of action.

[Kate W · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a few chapters to really get into this book because it takes a long time for the love interests to meet each other. But I got into it, I was in!

Love the progression of the Kathrael, and how she comes to experience kindness and safety. The slow emotional development is perfect.

Content warning for a sort of sexual assault on-page early in the book. Officially the character consents to the sex, but she does feel obligated, and she has never enjoyed sex and doesn’t want to have sex with the person so it’s painful and unpleasant. I think this scene could be quite triggering for many readers.

I’m loving being back in this world.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received The Lion's Mistress, book 1, as a free copy from the author/publisher. The gifting did not determine the review/rating, which reflects my honest opinion. This book had a slow-building pace, but the plot was so interesting I couldn't help but read to find out where the story would go. Interesting characters and unique world-building make this a great story, which is odd for me, as I usually prefer more dialog and faster pacing. Great story-telling.

[Mihir · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Lion Mistress was a book which seemed very intriguing based on the blurb and it was a decent read. I must say that it begins on a dark note and the chapters that I read introduced a protagonist who is scarred on the outside & inside. The story however wasn’t as intriguing as I liked it to be and in the end I think it wasn’t a book for me.

[Yasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot and interesting characters. The only thing I did not like (because it was way too extreme) was for Fabian to be in the priesthood he has to be castrated. His balls are to be cut. And he did it. I was hoping he wouldn't.

Not sure if this is a menage story or more of a platonic relationship between Kathrael and Fabian with Ithric being their lover.

[Crystal Collie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love R.A. Steffan

I read The Horse Mistress series and really enjoyed the story and characters. When I saw The Lion Mistress and noticed it was Favian's story, I got very excited. This story didn't disappoint. If you loved The Horse Mistress you will love this series as well.

[Corrie C.K. v R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read. Unfortunately 5 stars are the top. A very good series to follow up on the excellent series. (The Horse Mistress). Real tough characters.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find my review of the full Lion Mistress collection under Book 3.

[💖📚BOOKZAMILLION📖💘 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book...long and it took me a minute to actually get into it.

[Jess Reads2Much · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great writing and concept, however I found the complicated romantic/sexual nature of their trio to be a bit distracting.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great book to read

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lion Mistress is a fantasy set in a country five years after an invading force has been repelled. Think of it as an allegory to Britain and the Romans, except here the Romans were defeated. While life is better on the island, that prosperity hasn’t found its way to all people, certainly not Kathrael, a scarred prostitute and former slave. With nothing more than spite as fuel, she goes on a mission to get revenge on the prophesied savior of the slaves who has done nothing to help them.

As part of Kathrael’s journey, she meets lion-shifter Ithric, who is captive in a travelling side show. Though he remains captive, Ithric helps guide her along to the next part of her journey where she eventually ends up holding novice priest Favian at knife-point. Favian and Kathrael then embark on a journey together to save Ithric. It might seem completely crazy, but these very odd people fit together and work. This is a menage romance, but one that burns more subdued though no less strongly.

One of the things that RA Steffan does well is writing a story that’s about the story itself and the relationship the people have together. She doesn’t shy away from writing graphic sex, but it is always in service of the story and not just to be salacious. This book has less sex than The Horse Mistress series, and the most graphic sex in this story is when Kathrael inadvertently finds Senovo, Andoc and Carivel with each other on a festival night.

Narrator Gwendolyn Druyor once again does a fantastic job of narrating. She even sings a pretty lullaby near the end of the book, and it is no surprise that she is a master of her instrument. One of the fun things she did was her voice for Favian. She pitches him in the range where his voice is almost fully dropped, but not quite. It’s a pinched sound, but it’s definitely the right sound. Druyor is the right narrator for Steffan’s works, and I look forward to more stories with these two together.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings - completed series:
#1 The Lion Mistress: Book 1 (this book): ★★★★☆
#2 The Lion Mistress: Book 2: ★★★★☆
#3 The Lion Mistress: Book 3: ★★★★☆

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly raw and beautiful

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. The description does not do the story justice. The depictions of trauma and pain are so realistic. There's such a beauty in Kathrael's inner strength, that she doesn't even realize she has. The characters are well written and the details are exquisite. I tore through this is one night.
It also has one of the most unique reverse harems I've read. Absolutely loved the book and can't wait to read the next one.

[Ruth Searles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome story in this amazing series. R. A. Steffan writes a very unique and entertaining story. I fell in love with Kathrael, Favian, and Ithric and loved seeing Carivel, High Priest Senovo, and Andoc from the previous book and how they were doing. I can't wait to see how all three characters will grow in there relationship.

This audiobook was provided to me by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchanged for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.